Sled.



W. FALWELL.

SLED.

APPLICATIONHHED JAN. 25. l9I-7.

Patented Apr. 8, 1919.

W. FALWELL.

SLED.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 25. I917.

Patented Apr. 8,1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2 gnwntoz I W. FALWELL.

SLED.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 25. 19W.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Patented Apr. 8,

'w. FALWELL.

SLED.

AYEPLICATION FILED JAN. 25. 191.1

Patented Apr. 8,1919.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4 v 40 position,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WRAY FALWELL, OF FITCHBURG, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIG-NOR TO BROWN BAGFILLING MACHINE COMPANY, OF FITCHIBURG, MASSACHUSETTS.

SLED.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 8, 1919.

Application filed January 25, 1917. Serial No. 144,487.

production of a greater curvature in such runners with the use of thesame steering connections heretofore employed. A further object is togive a construction of runner and mounting which will produce a bankingeffect at the sametime that the runner is flexed. Another importantpurpose is to give such construction in flexing runner sleds that therunners will more efliciently return to normal position alined with themean direction of the deck of the sled. A further object is to enablethe attainment of these objects without a material departure from thestructural details of sleds as at present manufacured, but utilizingstock material in a new arrangement and relation Wherebythe new resultsare attained.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention will appearfrom the construction and arrangement and combination of partscomprising one of the possible embodiments of my invention, hereinafterdescribed and shown in the drawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is a bottom view of the sled in normal position,

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the sled'inturning position,

Fig. 3 is a side view of the sled,

Fig. 1 is a front 'view'thereof inturning Fig. 5 is a bottom viewshowing a means for positively returning the parts to normal position,resiliently,

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side elevation showing a modification of therunner construction,

Fig. 7 is a cross section of the sled,

Fig. 8 is across section of the runner at its super-flexible portion.

Fig. 9 is a detail cross section of the connection between the runnerand leg of the standard,

Fig. 10 is a detail cross section of the runner,

. Fig. 11 is a lateral elevational detail of av modified form ofconnection between the front and rear runner sections,

Fig. 12 IS a bottom view of the construction of my invention where fourlegs arerequired,

Fig. 13 is a side elevation thereof,

Fig. 14 is a cross sectional detail of a form of runner, a

Fig. 15 is a detail of the manner of attachment of theintermediate legsto the body in the last mentioned modification.

There is illustrated a sled comprising runners 10 upon which there ismounted a pluralitypf longitudinally spaced benches 11, these lncludingthe standards 12 having divergent leg portions 13, upon which rest .thebars or bolsters 14. Upon the'bolsters the usual deck 15, and short sideraves 16 are mounted, the latter being on the outer ends of the bolsters14. The deck and raves are also provided with a cross bar 17intermediately of the body of the sled, secured upon the underside ofthe deck, this bar being similar in form to the bolsters 14. The runnersmay be curved upwardly at their forward parts in accordance with theusual practice in the construction of flexible runner sleds, and ifdesired the. raves '16 may be extended and secured pivotally to theupper ends of the runners, in accordance .with the customary practice,although not so shown in the present instance, as I prefer for the, sakeof economy and other reasons to employ at each side a link 18 comprisingsimply a piece of strap metal pivoted upon the bolt 19 by which theforward end of the rave is secured upon the forward bolster 14, theforward end of the link 18 being secured flatly upon a cross bar 20, theforward end of each runnerbeing formed with an ear 21 disposed flatlyagainst the underside of the bar 20, the link 18, bar 20, and ear 21 ateach side being pivotally secured by a-single bolt 22 holding themsnugly together. 'The deck includes the usual middle stave 23, elongatedat its forward end to provide an anchorage stem 24:, upon which ispivoted therear ends of a steering lever 25 having a longitudinal slot26 invits forward end receiving slidably the headed bolt27 fixedcentrally in the bar 20. The lever 25 is formed as usual of two plates,between which the steering bar 28' inner part provided with a slot 30concentric with the pivot opening at the outer side having bolts 31engaged loosely therein. Gontrary to general practice in theconstruction of such sleds, the standards at both front and I rear arerovided .with the slots-30 so that both the out and rear standards mayrotate upon a vertical axis, which, in association .with other detailsof construction to be described enables a new action in runners of thischaracter'and with the type of steering connection shown; p

'In the action of the sled as will be subsequently apparent, when a turnis made the runners are tilted'toward the axial center upon which theturn is made, at their upper parts, and by the form of connectiondescribed between the up er ends of the runners andthe bar 20, the barbecomes flexed as shown in Fig. 4,.the resiliency .of the bar 20-servingtoaid very materially; in return of the parts to normal. position whenth steering bar is released from stress. 0 What may be termed the footportlons 32' of the legs are bifurcated as usual, but, con-f 1 .trary tousual construction in such devices 4 are not riveted rigidly upon therunners, but

are extended divergently',-the central or stem flange 33'zof'the runnerengaging snuglyin the crotch between the furcations, the attaching bolts34* by which the-runners are P 5 secured to the feet being rivetedfirmly in the feet, these bolts being fittedsnugly in the apertures ofthe feet. The apertures in the runner, however, through which the boltsextend, in each instance, is made much larger than the-bolts so that therunner is 'free to' same crosssectlonal dimenslon throughout lts have arocking movement laterally until checked by "thei furcations, so thatthe runner-maybe tilted to present its lower face laterally in onedirection or the other,

and aw y from the normalposition, In

such 'vement the upper edge of the runner rests at all times snugly'in.the, crotch as before stated, so that ample support is secured. Byreason of the customary bend: ing of the foot portions longitudinally ofthe runner and away from each other, as 86 shown at 35, it will be seenthat the bearing between the foot 32 and the runner is quite extensive,and that the support does not occur solely between .the extreme'edgeportion in the crotch. and the upper side of the runner, which wouldtend to produce excessive wear. By this form of mounting of the runner,when the steering bar 28 is turned andthe upper end portion of therunners are pressed laterally, the runners are free to turn, and it willbe seen that the direction of this turning movement is such that thesides of the runners toward the inside of the curve produced are turneddownward, so that a fullbanking effect is produced,. as 30 sirable alsoto bend the inner edge of each runner' downwardly, slightly, as shown at36, see Figs. 9 and 10, this edge being moved farther downward at theouter side of the 5 sled with respect to a turn when being made, whichby reason of the fact that the weight of the rider is thrown upon thatside, makes the hold of the device upon glac snow, or

ice highly eflicient. Howeveig'it will be ap- 0 parenttliat even with aplain T-section runner the device will produce a highly eflicient'banking effect. A hollow ground runner slllsown in Fig. 14, may be usedto good effect, 3 0.

Intermediatel of the length, of the run-,

- ner, over a portion thereof which I prefer to locate'approximately inline with the middle of the deck, although this exact location is notarbitrary, the lateral flanges at the lower side of therunner are cutawa or the runner otherwise formed without t eflanges, for a distance ofSeVeral1nches,-more or less, as

shown at 4-0, Figspl and 2,and as clearly apparent in the enlarged crosssection of the runner Fig.. 10. By this construction in the runner, whenthesteering bar 28 is operated 1 the runnersflex with great ease,especially 7 over the portion {10, resulting in the dispo tion t0, whilepractically the entire ron't portionof the; runner extends at an angleto lOllgitudinal medial line of the sled corre-" spondingto thedirection of the forward part ofthe portion 40, whereas in a runner ofthe length, only the rearmost and foremost parts of "the runners wouldhave such-direction, while the intermediate portions would bedirected atmuch lesser angles to the longitudie na-l medial line, so that t ofthe'sled-Ito corresponding'degree of move-- ment in the steeringconnection wouldloe much -less'than is the case where my im- 4 provedconstruction is employed,

e turning efliciency I in which the end portion of the runner is movedby the steering connection corre-,

sponds to the distance between the forward end of the runner and thepivot bolt 19 in the foremost bolster. whereas in the prior constructionthe radius of such movement corresponds to the distance between theforward end of the runner and the rearmost point of rigid connectionbetween therunner and the deck. This radius in prior devices wouldordinarily not be less than twice the radius of movement in my sled. andordinarily much greater than that.

'By the employment of my invention it is possible to utilize a cheapsteel for the construction of the major portion of the run aiers, whileyet retaining the full advantage 'of a high grade steel in the flexingportion,

as shown in Figs. 11, 6, Where the rear section 41 and front section 42of the runner are formed separately, the front end of the rear sectionstopping short of the rear end of the front section a' distance ofseveral inches. A spring section 43 is provided, connecting-the adjacentends of the runner sections,comprising a flat blank of high grade steelin cluding end portions disposed in alinement adapted to be rivetedagainst the inner side of the runner sections 41, 42 as shown, the

intermediate portion of the section 43 being offset upwardly, permittingthe adjacent extreinitiesof the runners to be turned upwardly as" at 44,just within the offset portion of the spring section 43. The mounting ofthe runner so constructed is the same as before described, and itsaction very much the same as that of the runners first de-- structionsuchas shown in Figs. 12 and 13 may be employed. In Fig. 12 there isshown a sled having four standards. The front standard A and the rearstandard B, are constructed in the same manner as the standards-befo'redescribed herein, and mounted in the same manner upon the bolsters, as

, well as the same connections employed beflat portions withan-elongated slot 45, ex-

tending at right angles to the mean direction of the runner, and alargebolt 46 is en-v gaged through this slot and with the bolster I 47thereover, the bolt 46 being sufiiciently smaller in diamter than thewidth of the slot 45 to permit free movement of the standards laterallyas well as pivotally with respect to the body of the sled. The steeringconnections are, otherwise the same as before described, and the mannerof connecting the runners to the standards C is the same as theconnections employed between the standards 12 and runners 10, as firstmentioned. The super-flexile portion of the runners, however, ispreferably located about midway of the length of the deck, as shown at40 although if found desirable this super-fiexile portion may be locatedfarther forward or to the rear, if desired without even impairing theaction of the device, these modifications being considered suflicientlyobvious to require no illustration. portions 40 may be decided by test,showing the highest efficiency. The super-flexile portion of the runneris then preferably. located between the two inner standards as at 40*.In this way the two inner standards at each side move laterally when therunner is flexed, and in the constructionshownin Fig. 11 the centralstandard C is moved laterally by fiexure of the runner.

If thought preferable the central bolsters 47 upon which theintermediate standards C are mounted may be fixed on the standards, madefree of the deck and slidable thereunder, in accordance with thecustomary practice in the front bolsters of present sled constructions,as shown in the patent to Allen, numbered 797,338, in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 5 a means for utilizing the links 18 in connection withauxiliary resilient elements to return the runners to normal position isshown. In this case, the links 18" corresponding to the links 18 beforede' scribed are mounted upon the forward bolster 14 and connected to thecross bar 20 in the same way as before described, but from their rearpivots arms 45 integral with the links are extended rearwardly andinwardly beneath the deck 15, stopping short of the middle bar 17 asufficient distance to swing clear of this .bar under-steering operationof the sled. The arms 45 are apertured at their extremities, and helicalsprings 46 of suitable weight are engaged therewith and connected to theforwardbolster 14 by means of eye bolts 47. The tensions of thesesprings being equal, they will tend to return the steering parts'tonormal position, as will be readil understood.

In the operatlon of the sled, initial move ment of the steering bar willproduce sim-: ply a tilting movement of the runners, which,

for slight turning movement may be found sufficient to guide the sled..After a short The location of the degree of tilting movement, however,sufli cient produce the desired banking e-lfect,

the lower part of the flange 33 of the run ners strikes against one ofthe furcations of the foot, while the upper part of the flange 33 isheld securely in the crotch of the foot,

preventing further tilting movement. From this pomt continued movementof the bar 28 w1ll produce flexing action in the runners.

A slight torsional strain of the runner also occurs permitting some lostmotion, so to speak, between the forward end of the run:

ner and the foremost standard. This lost motion due to the torsionalyielding of the runner will be less in my device, however, than in theordinary runner, because of the provision of the super-flexile portion-40 as described.

. By having the runners hollow ground, as 7 shown, the curved concaveface intersecting the lateral edge faces of the runners, I am able tomake the sled runners function in the same manner as the runners ofskates, for turning on icy surfaces, which is a feature that has neverbeen before attained in sled runners.

It is found in the operation of the sled that the runners will tend tobow upwardly slightly in the middle, when flexed and this may beovercome by slightly bowing the runners downwardly, without detractingfrom their normal efficiency. h v

What is claimed: a

1. In a sled, a body including a deck, standards therefor having a fixedrelation to the'plane of the deck, runners mounted on the-lower ends ofthe standardsfor lateral tilting movement thereon to incline their lowerfaces laterally in either direction from normal posltion, and means toturn the runners simultaneously.

2. In a sled, a su erstructure, a 'runner' mountedin supporting relationthereto at each side movable bodilyat its intermediate part relativelyto the superstructure, and

including front and rear runner sections and a resillent connectiontherebetween constructed to resist vertical flexure, and more at eachside, loose connections between the runners andlegs whereby the rurmermay be tilted laterall saidrunners being curved upwardly at eir forwardends, and means to coact between thezbody and said forwardsuperstructure, resilientdirectly between and forming a connectionbetweenthe front andrear runner sections.

. 4-. In a flexible guiding runner sled,- a. body having 'legs thereonpaflexible runner 11. Ina sled, a body,

ends to flex the runners,whereby the runners w1ll be tilted when flexed,for the purposes described.

5. A sled comprising a body, legs thereon having bifurcated divergentextremities, runners having upper edge portions set in the crotches ofsaid bifurcations, fastening connections between the runners and leconstructed to permit lateral tilting of therunners, and means to tiltthe runners. 6. In a sled having laterally tilting runners and means totilt them, said runners being curved upward at their forward ends, a Y

flexible cross piece having snu pivotal connections with the forwardends of the runners, said cross piece tending to retain the runners innormal position.

7. A sled comprising a rigidly constructed body, longitudinally.spacedlegs mounted movement of all on a thereon for jturnin verticalaxis, a flexible runner at each side attached to the legs, said runnershaving an intermediate portion of. much greater 'flexibility than their.forward"and .rearward parts, and being free for 'lateral movement atsaid intermediate parts, and means cooperative between the body andforward ends.

of the runners for flexure thereof. 8. In a sled of the characterdescribed, the

combination of a body, legs pivoted thereon on vertical axes, a runnerat each side mounted on the legs for tilting movement,

the runners, being projected forwardly and curved upwardly, and meanscotiper'atlng between body and forward ends of the runners for lateralflexure thereof, whereby they will be flexed and tilted.

- 9. In a sled of the character described a front and rear runnersections mounted thereunder for its support and for movement intoangular longitudinal relation and for lateral tilting movement toincline their lower faces laterally in either direction from normal,means to limit tilting movement of the runners, and means to move theforward upper part of the runners laterally.

10. In a sled of the character described, a

body, a flexible tiltable runner mounted thereon, means to limit tiltingof the runner, and means to-move the runner for tilting to its limit andbeyond, including a latorally movable member connected pivotally to therunner above the axis of its tilting movement.

a plurality of standards, at least one being movable, a runner mountedon the standards for pivotal movement on a longitudinal horizontal axiswhereby the runner may betilted laterally, means to limit tilt' movementof the runner on the standar s and means to move one part of the runnerlaterally, including an eccentric connection. a

12. In arunner of the character described, runner, and means to movesaid upward exa; body, a plurality of standards at each tension. 10side, at least one being movable, said stand- In testimony whereof Ihave afiixed my ards having divergent feet portions, a run-'signature.in presence of two witneses.

5 ner mounted between the furcations for lat- WRAY FALWELL.

eral tilting movement, said furcations being Witnesses: disposed tolimit tilting movement of the H. L. WoonwARD,

runner, an upwardly extended part on said i ULRIc T. MENGERT.

